Chapter 4-Getting the Kinks Out
They stared at each other for a moment, processing that which they had been told that there was a chance to then to, if nothing else, be together often in Faery. The magic Niall would use would lead to irreversible transformations within the realms of their respective powers, yet he vowed it would only make them stronger, better to protect one another. He had retreated to Faery to gather the ingredients he needed, should they decide to go through with the magic that Niall had warned, would cause pain and torment unlike anything else they had gone through in their life.
"So it will be painful. Funny, I know nothing of being hurt, physically or mentally…." Eric said as he looked deep in thought, something that Sookie found unsettling. She had, selfishly, had expected him to immediately jump at the chance to be able to go to Faery as he pleased. That he was seemingly deep in thought…..well, is was upsetting her, though she certainly would not blame him for turning the offer down.
"I don't think Niall is expecting to step down from the throne anytime soon, though I do need to spend time there to get to know the people, to learn how things run. The only times if have been to Faery were when I was in the run from something, someone, so I never got the chance to explore, to learn….." Sookie was trying to start a dialogue again but still, he said nothing. "If you want to up and leave, I won't blame you. I won't make you change for me….I am scared of what this will do to you, to us….the not knowing. Though I know Niall would never put us in danger….."
"There are only a handful of people in my long existence that I would have ever considered going through anything like this for. And there are only two that I would ever decide to go through this for now. I would do this for Pam and I would do this for you. I will do this for you."
She started shaking as she sat by him on the mossy log, unbelieving what he had just said. "I don't know what to say….I don't deserve….." she was stopped by a cool finger touching her lips as he guided her face to look at his.
"Three years was almost unbearable and if you really thought I would give up….you don't seem to know me as well as you claim." he gave her that smart ass smirk she always found herself rolling her eyes at but this time, she wept into his leather jacket before pulling back. "Oh, I don't want to get your jacket all wet…"
"Again, you seem to forget, I have a decent supply of clothes….this wouldn't be the first jacket covered in something, though this time I am relieved to see it is happy tears rather than blood."
Sookie laughed as they sat together for a few minutes and the, clutching a satchel, Niall returned to them. "So. What have you decided?"
He had worked carefully, finding a patch of ground that was flat and bare of grass. Drawing a pentagram with a crushed up dust made of crystal he explained could only be found in Faery, he then set a candle in each point of the star. "I know this may seem holey, but this is how this spell, this magic is supposed to work. Sookie, when we begin, you will summon your power, at the same time, you two will exchange blood and Sookie, when you feel it, you will release the ball of light into him."
Sookie's face fell. "You Can't mean…..that ball of light you showed me, taught me that was a vamp killer?"
"I will be chanting the incantation, Sookie and with my assistance, I promise, no death will occur tonight." Niall turned to the vampire. "You, however, will both be in a great deal of pain as your physiology is altered. You may beg for death, it will be that intense."
"I am not afraid." Eric said as he took Sookie by the hand. "Let's get it done."
Impressed once more by the sheer bravery and knowing once and for all that he was in fact worthy of his granddaughter, Niall put the two in the center of the pentagram and began lighting the candles with his light. "Sookie, use your light as well, though the candles are lit, they need a bit of your magic added too. Faerie magic draws from the elements and I will summon the magic of fire and water, you will cast yours as wind and earth. You remember our practice sessions?""
She nodded and one by one, she let her light touch the flames one by one, each flame altering in color, the flames almost rainbow like in their appearance. "Let's begin." she said, steeling herself for whatever was to happen.
They heard him casting the magic and the warmth , the glow they were soon surrounded by was both beautiful yet frightening, the elements coming together to create the vortex around them, a wind blowing around them. They held hands as ordered to do so by Niall and when the moment came, that urge came over her through the magic, Sookie looked up at him. "Are you ready?"
He nodded as he brought his fangs out and gently as he could, reenacted their exchange in the cubby which seemed like an eternity ago. Once both had had several sips of the other, the moment she had dreaded most had come. "Do it Sookie!" she heard Niall shout to her through the light energy and the wind that was increasing in intensity. Ignoring the bleeding bite mark on her neck, she stepped back a few paces, tears in her eyes.
"If anything goes wrong…if something happens….I want you to know I love you….and I am sorry for everything."
"Just do it, Sookie. Don't worry about me. I am a fighter and a survivor, remember." Eric replied as he kissed her head gently, taking a step back. "Do it." he ordered, steeling himself for the impact.
The ball of light she had summoned was far stronger now, her magic infinitely stronger than it had ever been before. Blinking back the tear of fear that had formed in her eyes, she screamed as she released the magic outward, closing her eyes as she heard a sickening thud as the light hit its target. Everything went blindingly white before the candles, the glow of the pentagram, everything, vanished into oblivion. Racing through the brush, she followed the trail of bent weeds and singed grass, she stumbled on her own feet as a pain shot through her like nothing she had ever heard before. And off in the distance, she heard a scream that was as agonizing as her own. Niall rushed over to her and managed to use his magic to weaken the pain enough for her to get to her feet. "I can't do much for you, I am afraid, it is the change taking place."
She could only nod as she tried to fight through the pain, having to almost crawl over to where she saw a figure lying in the shadows of the moon. Refusing a helping hand from Niall, Sookie pushed the brush off of a still Eric who seemed to be sleeping, but there was a light about him. Literally. She saw it coursing through his veins, creeping up through him as with a chill she had remembered the hep-v had not too long ago. Shuddering with the memory, she turned to look at her grandfather. "What's wrong? Did something go wrong?"
"if something had gone wrong, he would be as you have seen any other dead vampire." Niall said. "You are able to see the changes happening in him he is receiving the light as you received the power he possesses….how do you feel, by the way?"
"Achy, especially in my head. It's…..its probably what I feared most getting…" she felt the tingling, the discomfort, spread to only her mouth and sure as sugar, there popped out a pair of fangs of her very own. It tool little time for her to learn the way to retract them though it was a awkward several minutes. "I am such a freak." she couldn't help but laugh at her change and she felt the sheer power of the rest of the vampire essence washing into her. Was she fast? She had to try and sure enough, she sped fast all around the pond and could hear, see and smell better than she had ever been able to before. "Wow." she was genuinely impressed, knowing for the first time completely how powerful the vamps were. And as she went back to watching the light drift through his body, Sookie waited for him to come to. Thankfully, she hadn't long to wait. The light faded gently and he opened his eyes, blinking as if seeing things through new eyes, as she had felt she was now.
"How are you feeling, Viking?" Niall asked as Eric slowly sat up, leaning against the trunk of what remained of a tree.
"Strange….but the pain…..it's tolerable, almost gone."
"Figures. He has always had a pretty high pain tolerance….but really, are you ok?" Sookie asked as she couldn't help but show off her fangs and her abilities. Zooming back to his side, a grinning Sookie took in the sight of his astonished face.
"I was going to ask you first how you felt, but…..fangs become you, Sookie. I always thought you had the right temperament to be one of us…but how to use this…" he seemed to go blank for a moment as she could tell an aftershock of pain was waving over him. It seemed to become as clear to him as it had to her how to go about using their new abilities and it was a earth shattering reveal that once more a faerie vamp hybrid walked the earth. That there were now two-one created from each race-was certainly something that had never happened before. On his feet, the Viking held the light with wonder, his face eerily lit up with a power both foreign and comfortable to him. Certainly it was no secret he had always wanted power of some sort, but he had always figured it would be limited to being a wealthy Viking vampire. And now…..
"Try it out." Sookie said encouragingly. "doesn't it feel like you're one with nature? Like you're connected with it?"
"You are certainly making this power seem a little less macho…" he replied as he maintained the ball of light and he absorbed it back into himself before unleashing a fist full of light towards a small pile of fairly large rocks. They exploded in a violent cacophony, the dust well visible with their superior sight and the even smelled some singing of the stones.
"I am impressed that neither of you seem to have been as painful as I had expected you to be….perhaps you two are stronger than such pain…I always thought the two of you sere something special and perhaps that specialness helped shield you from most of the pain. Because from what I have studied from this ceremony you went through, both of you should barely be able to move, let alone practicing your new powers." Clearly, Niall was stunned and impressed. "Now, I think it is time you see what she and I have been working on in Faery." Niall said as a unexpected voice chimed in.
"I, for one, would be interested to know that the hell just happened?" a fierce looking Pam was standing several dozen feet away and none of them knew how much she had witnessed. Sookie guessed it was enough, judging by the fire in her eyes.